Blog Post

IAVA Applauds Passage of Jobs Bill for Veterans in the House
Posted by Isabel Black on October 12 2011

IAVA applauded the House of Representatives today for passing the Veteran Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act (H.R. 2433), introduced by Republican House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller of Florida. The bill will require programs to assist the transition from military to civilian life, strengthen job protections for deployed service members and help military personnel acquire civilian certifications.

“Today, the House took a major step towards lowering the veteran unemployment rate by passing the VOW Act. With Veterans Day (11/11/11) just around the corner and not a single veterans jobs bill passed out of Congress this year, Chairman Miller and the House Veterans Affairs Committee know we’re racing against the clock,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. “Now, it’s the Senate’s turn to step up and show their support for our nation’s veterans.
 
The need couldn’t be more urgent. Last month, Iraq and Afghanistan-era veteran unemployment jumped to 11.7 percent from 9.8 percent in August. And with thousands more troops coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan in the coming months, the time to act is now. IAVA has been working with both the private and nonprofit sectors to host Smart Job Fairs and resume workshops to help vets transition from combat to career, but we need leadership from Capitol Hill to complement those efforts. It’s time for Washington to really show the nation that veterans are a priority that trumps partisanship. All eyes are now on the Senate to pass Chairman Murray’s Hiring Heroes Act so we can get legislation to the President’s desk. Washington can show new vets that they have our back by helping us get back to work.”

Recently, IAVA began hosting Smart Job Fairs around the country. These events aim to address the issues that we hear from our national membership about transitioning to civilian careers and address them in a one-stop shop. Upcoming events will take place in Dallas, New York, Chicago and Atlanta. Sign up for an upcoming Smart Job Fair and learn more about IAVA’s Combat to Career campaign here.

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